Toy building blocks



May s, 1928.

G. L. CROSMAN ET AL TOY BUILDING BLOCKS Filed Jan. 9. 1926 Patented May8, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,668,551 AT T OFFICE GEORGE L. CROSMAN, OF FALMOUTHFORESIDE, MAINE,AND LORING P. CBOSMAN, OF WAVERLEY, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOES' TO CROSMAN BROTHERS COMPANY, OF v PORTLAND, MAINE, ACORPORATION OF MAINE. i

'roY BUILDING BLOCKS.

Application. filed January In the field of play things for children, i

the toy building block has always been a favorite on account of itsappeal to the childish imagination. tion recognizes this fact and aimsto provide a block set which will allow the widest lat-- itude in thematter of possible designs and shapes for the various structures whichcan be evolved from the many number of possible combinations of ourblock units.

structurally, the block units themselves areso proportioned andldesignedas to firmly but detachably interlock with each other in a variety ofrelative positionings so as to permit the greatest range of blockcombinations, and this capacity for variation is fur ther increased bythe provision of a series of individual key-pieces which cooperate withthe blocks to extend their field of possible combination.

The construction and use of our toy building'setis described andillustrated in the accompanyin specification and drawings, and theparticular features of novelty are pointed out in the appended claims.In the drawings: Fig. lfis'a perspect-ive'view of one of the manypossible block combinations.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the block units, and

Fig. 3 a perspective view showing several key pieces ofdiiferentlengths.

Ne have indicated at 1 apluralit-y of identical block units. Each unitis preferably twice as long as it is Wide, and is provided with twoparallel slots 2 at each end. The depth of the slots is such that whenfour of the blocks, asA, B, C and D are assembled as shown at the baseof the design illustrated in 1, the openingin the center of the blockassembly is equal to the width and thickness of a single block. By soproportioning the blocks, block assembly designs are possible whichcould not other- Wise be made. In Fig. .1, for example, this opening isshown as filled by the vertically disposed block E which constitutes thestem of the design illustrated.

The lateral tongues 3 left by the slots 2 are of substantially the samewidth and thickness as the slots themselves so as to key into said slotsand firmly but detachably lock the block units together in a variety ofangles relative to each other.

Our present invene, 1926., Serial No.. 80,211.

The slots are sawed with hollow ground saws for the sake of accuracy.This leaves the edges sufficiently rough to ailord a good frictionalcontact so that the blocks will remain locked to each other without thenecessity of using any supplemental locking means. The fiat faces of theblocks may,i if desired, be sanded or planed. I

In order toextend the possibilities of block combinations in.assemblingthe blocks, we provide with each block set a plurality ofsplints or keys I, detailed in Fig. 3. These splints are preferablysmoothly sawed and are furnished in different lengths. the keys aretwice thelength of the SlOtS in the blocks and others are three and fourtimes the length of'such slots, but all, of course, substantiallycorrespond in depth and thickness to the slots 2.

These splints may be positioned vertically in the slots of the blocks,as indicated at 4, Fig. l; horizontally, as indicated at 41"; or endwiseas indicated atti and the blocks themselves may be assembled eitherflatwise, as in the case of the'blocks A, B, C, D; or vertically.endwise, as in the case of the blocks E, F, G; horizontally edgewise, asin the caseof the blocks H, J, K, L; or crosswise as in the case of theblockM. In fact, the possible block combinations are so numerous andvaried as to be limited practically only by the limitations of theimagination. Preferably, the slots 2 are exactly as deep asthey arewide. This permitstwo.

blocks, as the blocks H and N in Fig. 1, to be locked. together by thesplints t in Fig. 1) at right angles to each other to form a squarecorner, and is a desirable feature in building.

Some of y WVhile applicants blocks are capable of a variety ofassemblies as indicated in part by the drawings, "it may be said thatthe characteristic assembly or assembly relation is that based on thefact that the characteristic blocks of the set each have a central orbody portion and a pair of end or assembly portions. As heretoforedescribed the characteristic block is 8 x 4 X 2 oblong. In this the bodyportion which lies between the assemblyor end portions is a- 4 X 4 x 2body and the two assembled portions at the end of this are each ofdimensions 2 X 4; x 2 or, in other words, the tongue and groovedportions are each half of the intermediate or body portion so that whenadded together they equal the volume and the dimensions of the centralor body portion. The assembly of the blocks produces what might becalled an additive substraction which is characteristic of theinvention. that when four blocks are inter-engaged as those at thebottom of Fig. 1,'the overlap produced produces a reduced space betweenthe four blocks and this space corresponds in proportion to what istermed the body portion of the block, which is also of the proportion ofthe block in transversesection so that the block B may be set verticallybetween the interlocked blocks A, B, C, and D, as shown at the bottom ofFig. 1, and, of

f -ourse. it is to be understood that the block lends itself to theother assemblies described, but the foregoing seems to be a.characteristic of the invention.

Various modifications in the form and construction of our device mayobviously be resorted to, all without departing from the spirit oi? ourinvention it within the limits of the appended claims.

hat we therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A building block set comprising aplurality of duplicate block unitsof such dimensions that when four blocks are assembled inhollow squareformation the central opening defined by the block assembly will snuglyreceive and irictionally retain a single block introduced endwise intosaid opening, the blocks for this purpose being each of a length twiceits width and of a thickness half its width and provided at each endwith a pair of spaced parallel slots extending across the block end andlongitudinally along the top and bottom faces of the block said slotsbeing so spaced from the sides oi the block as to form at each endof-the block a pair of lateral tongues of the same width, length anddepth as theslot-s themselves and adapted for interlocking engagement inthe slots of an adjacent block.

A building block set comprising a plurality of duplicate block units,each block being of a length twice its width and of a thickness half itswidth and provided at each end with a pair of spaced parallel slotsextending across the block end and longi tudinally along the top andbottom faces of the block, said slots being so spaced from the sides ofthe block as to form at each end of the block a pair of lateral tonguesof the This means very novel 1,ess,ss1

same width, length and depth as the slots themselves and adapted forinterlocking engageinent in the slots of an adjacent block, and a seriesoi? detachable and interchangeable keys of the same width as the slotsadapted for frictional engagement in said slots for extensibly keyingthe block units together in a variety of assemblies including anassembly wherein two alincd blocks are mutually keyed to each other andto a third block disposu intermediate thereof and transversely thereto.i

3. A building block set comprising a plu rality of duplicate block unitsof such dimensions that when four blocks are assembled in hollow squareformation the central opening defined by the block assembly will snuglyreceive and trictionally retain a single-block introduced endwise intosaid opening, the blocks for this purpose being each of a length twiceits width and of a tl'iickness half its width and provided at each endwith a pair of spaced parallel slots extending across the block end andlongitudinally along the top and bottom faces of the block, said slotsbeing so spaced from the sides of the block as to form at each end ofthe block a pair of lateral tongues of the samewidth, length,a11d depthas the slots themselves and adapted for interlocking engagement in theslots of an adjacent block, and a series of detachable andinterchangeable keys of the same width and distance as the slots adaptedfor frictional engagement in said slots for extensibly keying the blockunits together in a variety of assemblies including an assembly whereintwo alined blocks are mutually keyed toeach other and to a third blockdisposed intermediate thereof and'transversely thereto.

i. A building block of a length twice its width and of a thickness halfits width and provided at eachend with a. pair of spaced parallel slotsextending across the block end and longitudinally along the top andbottom faces of the block, said slots being so spaced from the sides ofthe block as to form at each end of the block a pair of lateral tonguesof the same width, length and depth as the slots themselves and adaptedfor interlocking engagement in the slots of an adjacent block.

In testimony whereof we ilillXUUl' signatures.

GEORGE L. CROSMiiN. LORING P. CRO MAN.

